**Wednesday's game at Central Arkansas canceled due to weather**
Starting 9
1) Missouri State (22-16, 11-4 Missouri Valley Conference) kicks off a five-game week Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when No. 7 Arkansas comes to Hammons Field. The Bears then head to Central Arkansas at 3 p.m. Wednesday. The Razorbacks are the highest-rated team to visit Hammons Field since No. 7 Oregon State on April 13-14, 2018.
2) MoState is 29-57 all-time against Arkansas and owns a 27-9 record versus Central Arkansas.
3) The Bears have homered in 30 of 38 games this year and 48 of the last 56, with 102 total in that span which included a 29-game streak from May 7, 2022-March 10, 2023. MSU has also tallied three or more extra-base hits in 27 of 38 games, with eight or more on four different occasions. The Bears lead the MVC in doubles, homers and slugging, ranking in the top 60 nationally in all three categories, and average 4.05 extra-base hits per contest.
4) The Missouri State leads the MVC in total strikeouts (361) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.56), the best rate in school history (9.10 in 2016 is 2nd), ranking 55th nationally in the latter category.
Brandt Thompson (67) and
Hayden Minton (63) rank 1-3 in the MVC in strikeouts.
5) Third-year sophomore outfielder
Spencer Nivens earned preseason all-MVC honors this season after a Freshman All-America season in 2022, and has continued his high level of play to rank among the MVC's top three in average, slugging, runs, hits, triples and total bases. Nivens hit for MSU's first cycle since 1998 on Feb. 24 against Central Arkansas.
6) Missouri State freshman outfielders
Zack Stewart and
Taeg Gollert have made an immediate impact this season. Stewart is hitting .331 with eight home runs and owns the MVC lead in doubles (15) and RBI (42). Gollert hit two grand slams vs. Bradley on April 9 and has eight homers and 29 RBI.
7) MSU is 453-318 in its 33rd MVC season with six regular season titles. Since 2015, the Bears have won more combined regular season titles (3-2) and tournament championships (3-1) than the rest of the league's current membership combined.
8) The Bears have won nine consecutive MVC games, the program's longest streak since winning 22 straight in 2016 and 2017. Over the last nine league games, MSU is hitting .337 and slugging .585 with a 3.35 ERA.
9) Head coach
Keith Guttin ranks second among active coaches and 13th overall with 1,362 career wins. Among active skippers, Guttin trails only Danny Hall of Georgia Tech (1,370). Arkansas head coach Dave Van Horn is in sixth with 1,197 wins, meaning Tuesday's coaching matchup combines for 2,559 career victories.
Series Histories
MoState is 29-57 all-time against Arkansas with a 13-22 record against the Razorbacks in Springfield. Arkansas has won its last two visits to Hammons Field, most recently 8-2 in 2019. The Bears won 6-4 last season in Fayetteville.
The Bears are 27-9 against Central Arkansas after a sweeping a three-game home series in February. MoState owns a 12-6 series lead in Conway, and took two of three at Bear Stadium to open the 2022 season.
Last Time Out
Missouri State swept Belmont to run its MVC winning streak to nine games. The Bears opened the series with a 17-5 run-rule victory, ending it on a grand slam by
Mason Hull, his second homer of the game.
Taeg Gollert also homered twice and the Bears left the yard six times in all. In game two,
Hayden Minton threw a complete game and
Cody Kelly blasted a three-run homer in 5-1 victory. Kelly hit another three-run blast and drove in four runs in Saturday's 6-1 victory to clinch the sweep.
This Season Versus UCA
Missouri State swept Central Arkansas in a three-game series Feb. 24-26 at Hammons Field.
On Feb. 24,
Spencer Nivens hit for the cycle as Missouri State won 11-10 in 14 innings, rallying from deficits of 9-6 in the eighth and 10-9 in the 13th.
The next two games saw starters
Brandt Thompson and
Hayden Minton each strike out nine without a walk in six innings in 4-3 and 2-1 victories, respectively.
